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ALEPPO – Radical group of the Islamic State (ISIS) has shut down the internet network in the city of al-Bab in Syria’s northern Aleppo province, local sources reported on Wednesday.

The group has also broke into civilians’ houses and confiscated all satellite devices.

“They [ISIS militants] stormed the houses in al-Bab and confiscated satellite devices. Also, all internet cafes in the city were shut down on Wednesday,” local media activist Abdulkarim al-Yousef told ARA News over the phone.

“The group has tightened security measures inside the city of al-Bab and at its entrances. Nobody is allowed to leave the area under any circumstances,” al-Yousef said.

Another source in al-Bab, who spoke to ARA News on condition of anonymity, said that there are concerns that ISIS may use civilians as human shields in the case that western-backed SDF forces make any move to attack ISIS positions in al-Bab.

This comes as a group of Syrian armed rebels announced the formation of the al-Bab Military Council in preparation to fight ISIS in al-Bab city and its countryside.

The operation is expected to be backed by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that have recently expelled ISIS from the nearby city of Manbij and cut off the group’s supply lines between Aleppo and Raqqa–the ISIS de facto capital in Syria.